This invention relates to plastic siding panels which are fastened to an exterior wall of a building to form a weather-resistant, ornamental facade.
Known plastic siding panels have a variety of designs and configurations intended to replicate the appearance of wooden siding. These plastic siding panels in many cases each include a number of surfaces that replicate a number of siding boards in a single panel. Typically, these vinyl siding panels have a flat upper edge referred to as a "nailhem," that is used to nail or fasten the panel to the building structure. Known plastic siding panels generally have a completely flat nailhem strip that extends along the upper edge. This nailhem strip normally includes a plurality of elongate apertures for passing a fastener therethrough in order to attach the siding panel to an exterior building wall. These known plastic siding strips, while generally suitable for buildings constructed on a building site, have a tendency to be sheared off or partially dislodged when subjected to a relatively high apparent wind velocity. Such a relatively high apparent wind velocity is often encountered when a mobile home or a prefabricated building module is being transported. As a result, it is common for manufacturers or owners to be required to replace or reattach conventional plastic siding panels on a prefabricated building module after it has been transported to the building site where the module is to be combined with at least one other prefabricated building module to form a substantially complete building. The sheared or dislodged building panels are often destroyed due to tearing of the nailhem and must be replaced. The reattachment of dislodged or damaged panels can involve a significant amount of time and/or labor. Replacement and reattachment of partially or completely dislodged plastic siding panels adds labor and material expense to the total cost of the completed prefabricated building.
There is, therefore, a significant need for plastic siding panels which are less susceptible to being dislodged when exposed to the relatively high apparent wind velocities to which siding on prefabricated building modules are frequently exposed.